


Blessing in Disguise

by straytiny_n_ctzen



Series: House of the Undead [4]
Category: NCT (Band), WayV | 威神V
Genre: Aged-Down Character(s), Aged-Up Character(s), Angst with a Happy Ending, Being Lost, Character Turned Into Vampire, Dark Fairy, Gen, Light Angst, Magic, Origin Story, Platonic Relationships, Vampires, Witches, chenle-centric, found family trope, this is Bad though, this is not proofread we die like men, writing this took me too long but here i am now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-10-17 14:11:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20622335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/straytiny_n_ctzen/pseuds/straytiny_n_ctzen
Summary: Sometimes, when you lose your family, you find another one instead.Aka, the story of how Chenle got to the House.





	Blessing in Disguise

**Author's Note:**

> im back, babey!
> 
> a while back i got a comment asking for a chenle origin story so ig this is for you. im sorry if it's not the best i've ever written, but i hope you all enjoy nonetheless

The very first thing Chenle noticed when he was waking up was that he was laying on the forest ground. Twigs and branches pricked through his clothes, and leaves scraped and tickled the bare skin of his legs and arms.

He sat up slowly, leaning on one hand, feet splayed out in front of him. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and looked around. There was nothing but trees and plants and dirt.

Wiping the grime where he felt it on his cheek, he nearly collapsed at a searing pain. It was everywhere. His jaws, his cheeks, his mouth, his teeth. Everything burned like an open wound treated with salt and the pain seeped down and into his throat. He moved his mouth this way and that, but nothing seemed to relieve the pain. If anything, it only seemed to get worse.

He carefully closed his mouth again and tried to think. Why was he still in the forest?

Chenle looked around the new crack in his watch to see the time. The hands said 10.23, but the sky said late afternoon. He huffed. Of course it was his luck to break his watch at this time.

So, assuming he slept through one night only, he’s been here for a little less than a day. But why was he still here? Surely his parents would have gone looking for him-

His parents.

Oh god, they must be so worried.

Chenle scrambled up from the ground and tried to ignore the dread sinking low in his stomach. “Mama!” he called out as loudly as he could. “Papa!”

A flock of birds flew up into the sky somewhere.

He gritted out a curse but whimpered at the flaring pain. His eyes burned with unshed tears.

He took a few breaths to calm down and picked up his cap from the ground. Dusting it off, he planted it back on his head and looked around again. He was hiking on a trail with his family last night before he got distracted. Where was that trail?

Chenle couldn’t remember but that didn’t mean he was going to sit around and wait for death to catch up to him.

He patted down his pockets to see if he missed anything. A shock of ice cold fear ran down his spine when he didn’t feel his phone. But then he recalled that he had to leave it at the hotel.

“So you won’t be distracted all the time,” his mom had claimed. However, he had gotten distracted anyway and now see where it got him.

With another huff he set off into a random direction. Maybe he would find the trail this way! Or people! Though… if they were Korean - which would be likely, he was on vacation in South Korea after all - communicating would pose as a problem, seeing as Chenle knew approximately three words and a single question.

Oh, well. He’d worry about it when he stumbled across someone. Until then, he’d keep walking.

So he walked.

Eventually, he watched the sun overhead be swallowed by the stars, and figured he could stop once he felt tired.

But he didn’t feel tired, only thirsty. There was no water so he kept walking.

Chenle stayed out of the sun because it caused blisters on his skin. His mouth still hurt.

Days bled into nights and nights opened up to become days once again.

Where was his family? He wanted to see them again.

Chenle kept walking.

Eleven days had passed since he had woken up and Chenle had found nothing so far. No trail, no road, no people. _Nothing_. And frankly, it was making him tired. He just wanted to go back home to China and sleep a lot. But mostly he wanted to see his parents again.

He felt his once rock hard resolve crumble. It had been so long now, were they still looking? Or were they back home by now, mourning the loss of their child?

Chenle crumpled to the ground. Fourteen was too young to die, yet the threat of it loomed over his head. His eyes stung again but no tears came out. Was he too dehydrated to cry now, too?

He wiped at his eyes and sniffled. This was so unfair.

All they had wanted to do was enjoy a hike in the woods. Just the three of them - and a guide - taking in the Korean nature in the evening. The weather was perfect. And it was their last night here, too. Nothing should have ruined what was supposed to be a great evening.

But of course. Chenle had to go and be distracted by a pretty bird and follow it. The bird lead him further and further away from his parents and the guide, until he didn’t recognise any of his surroundings anymore. Then the bird had flown off, leaving Chenle stranded in the middle of nowhere. He had tried to get back but that only got him lost more. And then.

Then...

Surely it must have been his imagination because he woke up fine. Lost, but fine. He wasn’t dead. Or bleeding out. Mauled to pieces by teeth that had really seemed to pierce his skin last night.

He felt at his throat but there was nothing. No wound, no blemish, no scar.

There were no claw marks on his arms or legs. No bruises. Only his clothes were a little tattered but that was probably from the branches grazing him when he was running.  
Running from something that wasn’t real.

God, he was so _stupid_, getting caught up in his childish fears. He should have stuck to his parents, should not have gone after that _stupid bird, because that would not end with him getting _stupidly lost.__

_ _He yelled. He pulled his hair. He beat the ground with his fists until his knuckles were all bloody._ _

_ _He sat there for who knows how long wallowing in self pity, and finally found the strength to get up again by the time the sun was setting._ _

_ _

_ _The moon was high in the sky when Chenle heard a new sounds, breaking the forest's monotone. He listened closely and found the sound was two people talking._ _

_ _People! Finally!_ _

_ _His initial fatigue melted from his body like snow in the sun as he rushed over to the noise._ _

_ _He found the two people in a flower field.  
One was wearing a halter top, and the other was wearing sandals with white socks. Chenle couldn't decide what was worse. However, they both looked young, though the one wearing sandals was noticeably the older of the two._ _

_ _Gulping away his disgust at the questionable fashion choices, he stuttered out a "hello" in broken Korean from a little distance away._ _

_ _The strangers looked up simultaneously. But the sight of him made the one in sandals narrow his eyes and usher the other behind him. As if he wanted to protect him._ _

_ _"Uhm… do you- do you speak Mandarin?" Chenle asked, uncertainty shaking his voice._ _

_ _"What if I do?" Sandals replied in Mandarin._ _

_ _"I… I need help," Chenle explained in Mandarin. He pulled on his shirt, trying in vain to make himself more presentable. "I was hiking with my parents and got lost eleven days ago. _ _

_ _Can you help me contact them? Or alert the authorities? I'd… I'd really like to see my family again."_ _

_ _Sandals considered his words. "Kid, what is your name?"_ _

_ _"Chenle."_ _

_ _"Well, Chenle. I don't think you're gonna see your family anytime soon." He held up a hand to stop Chenle's shouts of protest. "Do you know what happened to you?"_ _

_ _Chenle frowned. "What do you mean?"_ _

_ _"Has anything in the past days happened to you that hasn't ever happened to you before?"_ _

_ _He thought hard and counted the events down on his fingers. "Uhm, my teeth really hurt. I think I'm missing two. I don't think I've slept at all. Nor have I eaten… and the sun makes my skin break out in rashes for some reason? Why?"_ _

_ _"My god..." Sandals sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Halter top asked something in Korean, to which Sandals replied, but Chenle didn't understand._ _

_ _"Okay, Chenle, I'll be showing you your reflection but please, don't freak out too much, okay?"_ _

_ _He wanted to ask why, but then Sandals moved his hand through the air as if wiping down a mirror and muttered something under his breath. The air began to glimmer and murky droplets clung together to form an oval disk, a little bigger than Chenle's face._ _

_ _He dragged his eyes to his reflection and barely held back a shocked gasp at what he saw. His face was streaked with dirt, his cheekbones more prominent, and his skin was paler than usual._ _

_ _"What…" Chenle stepped closer to the mirror, maybe thinking that the distance made him see things that weren't there._ _

_ _He prodded at his face with careful fingers, inspected his mouth and teeth. Nothing seemed inflamed, though he was indeed missing his incisors._ _

_ _And instead of two brown eyes staring back at him were now two flaming red irises._ _

_ _Anxiety bubbled up in his gut. He felt like throwing up._ _

_ _His eyes shot to Sandals. "What's happening?" His voice shook as it left his mouth in a whisper._ _

_ _Sandals had the audacity to look regretful. Halter Top behind him was chewing on his lip. _ _

_ _"It seems to me you've been bitten by a vampire, Chenle."_ _

_ _Chenle shook his head. "That can't be right. Vampires aren't _real_. This is just a bad dream, it has to be." He searched Sandals's face for any trace of a joke, proof that he was lying. But when he didn't find any he let out a small "right?"._ _

_ _"I'm sorry, Chenle." Sandals sat down next to Chenle who had sunk to the ground and awkwardly patted his hand. "I know it's a lot to take in, but I know some people who can help you. Would you like to meet them?"_ _

_ _"How can they help? Will they help me see my parents again?" A hopeful smile appeared on his face at the idea. "Oh! Can they do cool tricks like you did? How even did you do that?" Chenle motioned wildly to the air where the mirror was._ _

_ _Sandals chuckled at his excitement. "To answer your first question: they are vampires too, so they know how to handle your situation. They've been through it, too. But they won't be able to do cool tricks like me; you have to be a witch for that." He smirked before he shot up. "I don't think I've introduced myself yet! The name's Ten." He swatted at Halter  
Top's leg to get his attention and said something in Korean._ _

_ _Halter Top seemed to zone back in and stuttered out a greeting to Chenle. "I-I am Jisung." He sniffed and scrunched his nose before asking Ten something._ _

_ _Ten, in turn, started explaining something at length and Chenle was so lost. All he could do was watch how Jisung's face changed from curiosity to shock to understanding to regretful sympathy._ _

_ _Before Chenle could ask, Ten already told him that he had explained his situation to Jisung._ _

_ _"Now that everything's cleared up, shall we go?" Ten got up and dusted himself off, looking at the others expectantly._ _

_ _Jisung nodded and picked up two baskets that Chenle hadn't noticed before._ _

_ _Taking Ten's hand who pulled him up with considerable strength, they set off._ _

_ _Chenle trailed awkwardly behind Ten and Jisung who seemed to have no trouble navigating the way and when they arrived at their destination Chenle's mouth fell open in wonder._ _

_ _A little down the street was a huge, Victorian-style mansion with a big property surrounded by a spiked fence. The house itself was crumbling in places, and the windows were boarded with yellowed newspaper, but it still looked imposing. Chenle suddenly felt extremely small._ _

_ _The three of them walked up to the gate but where Jisung easily slipped through, Chenle found he was held back. Like there was an invisible wall in front of him, keeping him from entering._ _

_ _He looked helplessly at Ten, who only smiled and covered Chenle's ears before yelling two names at the house. "Doyoung! Kun!"_ _

_ _Soon, two figures appeared in the front door and quickly approached the gate._ _

_ _Two pairs of red eyes scrutinised the boy with utmost precision. It was as though they saw right through Chenle and bared his fears and nightmares for the rest to see._ _

_ _"Yes?" the taller one asked Ten with a borderline annoyed expression._ _

_ _The witch went on explaining something in Korean and Chenle could somewhere pick up on his name, so he assumed he was telling about how he found them._ _

_ _"So you don't know Korean?" the other stranger asked._ _

_ _Chenle shook his head. "Are you Chinese?"_ _

_ _The stranger smiled and small dimples appeared on his face. "Yes. I was born in Fujian but I've lived here for a long time. I'm Kun, this is Doyoung," he motioned to the other stranger with his hand._ _

_ _"It's nice to meet both of you." Chenle bit his lip in thought but hissed at the pain. "Ten ge said you can help me. Is that true?"_ _

_ _"It is." Then Kun said something to Doyoung who said something to Chenle in turn before Kun continued. "Come on in. We'll get you something to drink and explain everything. Does that sound okay?"_ _

_ _"Yes!"_ _

_ _Chenle took Kun's outstretched hand in his own, and nearly missed Doyoung's hidden smile as he stalked back in the house._ _

_ _He found the barrier from before was gone and he happily walked next to Kun into the house._ _

_ _Ten trailed after them, and he smiled one last time at them before sauntering off. "Welcome to the family, Chenle."_ _

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on my [tumblr](http://straytiny-n-ctzen.tumblr.com) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/straytinynctzen) and don't forget to leave kudos and/or comments!


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